


Cold hands, warm hearts

by nirroca



Series: Lavender [16]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 15:46:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19212550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nirroca/pseuds/nirroca
Summary: Cassandra wakes alone in the Emprise, which wouldn't bother her if she didn't hate the cold so much.





	Cold hands, warm hearts

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt: To touch with relief

The Emprise is  _ cold _ and Cassandra lacks the words to accurately describe how much she hates the place.

She’s not sure what wakes her, but between the howling of the wind and the wolves, not to mention the whispering hum of the Red Lyrium that seems to be everywhere there's no shortage of things here to make sleep uneasy.   
  
The most immediate thing though is the lack of a warm body sharing the small tent with her.   
  
The howl of wolves is closer this time and it has the hair on her neck prickling.

Over the snap of the tent ropes in the wind she swears she can hear the crunch of footsteps in the snow, but when she tries to focus on it she can’t hear anything.

A particularly strong gust of wind shakes the whole tent, and she wishes she had the forethought to leave a candle closer to her and not at the door. But her desire to see is outweighed by her desire to keep warm so with a sigh she stares at the canvas above her head and waits for eyes to adjust to the dim light.   
  
She breathes deeply and tries to focus on her surroundings, and faintly she hears footsteps crunching in the snow again somewhere behind the tent.    
  
“Ellana?” She calls out softly.   
  
Her heart picks up its pace when she hears the footsteps pause. Or maybe they’re drowned out by the renewed gusts of wind. Whoever had the bright idea to set up a camp in a flat area at the top of a hill with nothing as a buffer against the elements was a fool Cassandra grumbles to herself as she shifts uneasily in her blankets. 

Despite the extra pair of socks she put on her feet still burn with the cold and she is not looking forward to another day of trekking through knee-high snow trying to break the hold the Red Templars have on the area with their mining operation. 

If it was anyone other than Ellana she would never admit that for a moment, when the opening to the tent slaps open and Ellana comes in with a flourish of snow and a gust of wind cursing loudly that a jolt of fear shot through her, and that she let out a cry of surprise (“Shriek” Ellana would later claim) but Ellana knows her too well and there would be no denying it.   
  
“Sorry,” Ellana says breathlessly, and in the dim light Cassandra can just make out her trying to hop out of her boots before she sheds some of her outermost layers. Ellana pushes her bedroll closer to her own and throws her share of blankets over her before crawling under them and huddling as close to Cassandra as she can.   
  
Cassandra shifts, allowing Ellana to get closer and it's a relief to have the warmth of another body beside her in the dark.   
  
“Where did you go?” Cassandra asks curiously, inhaling the fresh smell of smoke and tea that lingers on Ellana’s person.    
  
“I needed to pee,” Ellana sighs. “Not that I could sleep anyway it's too loud here, so I joined some of the soldiers by the fire for a little while.”

She hadn’t gone far at least, and it did explain the footsteps she’d heard in the snow earlier.   
  
“I’m sorry if I worried you,” Ellana says quietly against her neck. The warmth of her breath sending a shiver down her spine and making her hair stand up again, though this time for a completely different reason.

“You’re back now to share your warmth, that's all that matters,” Cassandra teases.    
  
“I’ll remember this the next time you complain I only want you for your body,” Ellana grumbles, her palm trailing across Cassandra’s chest suggestively, cold fingers circling one of the bars in her nipple through her shirt. 

“Careful, you’ll give me ideas  _ Inquisitor _ ,” Cassandra warns, already feeling her pulse begin to quicken at Ellana’s actions.   
  
“Maybe that's what I was hoping for  _ Seeker _ ,” Ellana murmurs, before leaning in to claim her lips hungrily. 

She tastes like tea and whisky, and before long they find a more enjoyable method to get some relief from the cold.

 

 

 

 


End file.
